University of Illinois Life Online

UIUC Student Fashion: My Favorite Fall Outfit

It was a warm October here in central Illinois this year. Being a born-and-raised Midwesterner, I chilly fall days wrapped in flannels. Fall fashion is by far my favorite; scarves, chunky sweaters, flannels, boots – all super cute. The issue this year is that it’s been way too dang hot to wear most of these items. This fall look that I put together is one in which you can stay relatively breezy while capturing the autumnal essence.

The initial piece of this outfit is a simple black swing dress. Swing dresses are the comfiest article of clothing (especially when they are fully cotton), yet most importantly they can be dressed up and down in so many ways. Black is a staple color for me year-round, but specifically in colder months. This dress is sleeveless which gives it real versatility. You can wear it in the summer by itself with some sandals and a cute statement necklace (which I actually did for my birthday this past summer), but you can even wear it in the winter with a chunky cardigan, a printed scarf, some nylons or tights, and a cute pair of boots. It’s good for in-between weather time periods because it is so easy to layer. My dress is from Old Navy.

The urge to wear flannel is undeniable during September, October, and November in the Midwest.Most likely because flannels are quite warm. I’m wearing this long plaid shirt that is not flannel, but it is made out of a more breathable and thin material. This shirt is a longer one that can be worn by itself as a dress, but I layered it with the simple swing dress in order to add a layer to keep myself lightly warm if necessary. I started out wearing the shirt and rolling up the sleeves, but as it got warmer out, I tied it around my waist. Both of these options really do add a fall vibe to the look. My shirt is from an online plus-size boutique called Curvy Sense.

Fall is for boots; no ifs, ands, or buts. I really like these brown ones I wore because they are extremely comfortable to walk in. They also give off a good mixture of a combat boot vibe with the slightest bit of a rustic Western twist. Mine are from Target from a few years ago, but similar styles can still be found like this. For reference, the color of my boots is cognac.

The last main element of an outfit is a little pop of lace in the form of a headband. I really like mixing lace and plaid because I associate both of those patterns with fall country-style. I see a lot of country girls wearing white lace dresses with brown cowgirl boots – and plaid is a print that definitely suits the concept well.. I don’t know why I associate country-style outfits with autumn, but I do. This tiny accessory of lace gives an extra femininity to the outfit, which I love. I also like that the ivory cream color of the lace really contrasts with the color of my hair. This headband is one that’s been with me since middle school, and I originally bought it at Forever 21. I found two similar options from Claire’s. One is crochet lace with little pearl accents, and the other one is an all-around lace stretchy headband.

I like simple accessories for everyday occasions, so I just wore some classic, big white pearls. Mine are from Majorica in Spain. I’m wearing the Vega Earrings in my first piercing, and the Eternal Pearl Earrings in the second. As for my necklace, it has my first name initial (letter i) cut out in a tiny gold-colored circle. This necklace is from H&M. Although they no longer carry this necklace with the initial cutout, they do currently have a version with just a simple gold disk.

My medium-sized black crossbody purse is from JC-Penney’s exclusive line of St. John’s Bay products. Although I got this bag when I was a senior in high school, it seems to be a pretty popular style and it is still available. I like this purse for its functionality and organization. There are tons of pockets on both the outside and inside of the purse, and it holds up super well through travel, outdoor activity, accidents, and everyday use. This bag has done the job for me from Chicago to New York to New Orleans to Nashville to Madrid. It’s simple, and easy to match with many outfits. I highly recommend it.